Vettel's next team mate SPECULATIONOMETER

[Dizzi]

Which makes either of them a fun prospect for us neutrals.

Personally I'd rather see Alonso go to Red Bull because it's going to need someone very strong to push for equal status or it's going to be a, well not exactly waste, but not very good use of a top seat if they take on a driver who rolls over all the time.
I know it works in practise but I really don't like the number 1- number 2 use of F1 cars.

Not that I or most people on this forum will have any influence over what happens!

How late in the season do you think they'll leave an announcement?

 

[KekeTheKing]

I would imagine it's more likely to be financial discussions on how much they are going to pay him and in what form (bonus's etc).

I actually think money is of very little concern to Kimi. Being left alone while away from the circuit seems to be his biggest issue. Lotus have consistently missed salary payments for two years and Raikkonen hasn't seemed concerned at all.

 

[RasputinLives]

It was quite a big concern when he was dropped by Ferrari and turned down the Mclaren drive!

 

[KekeTheKing]

Kimi was clearly disillusioned with F1 at that point, and Ferrari were going to pay him the highest retainer in the sport just to stay away from McLaren. That was a no-brainer. And that money is probably part of the reason that cash is not the be all/end all to this deal.

 

[RasputinLives]

Sorry KekeTheKing as much as I think he's great I don't buy the whole disillusioned with F1 thing. He went rallying because no one would pay him higher than Ferrari.

Lets not forget that after his second year out he was so desperate to get back in F1 he was considering throwing in with a down the field Williams.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Forgetting that for a moment, do you really think it's money that is holding up a Kimi to Red Bull deal? The situation at Lotus would suggest that is not a worry for him anymore.

 

[RasputinLives]

The situation at the Enstone team is that he needed a way back in and he won't sign for them again if they don't cough up. Kimi thinks he deserves the same wages as the best and he probably does to be fair.

 

[Slyboogy]

Sorry KekeTheKing as much as I think he's great I don't buy the whole disillusioned with F1 thing. He went rallying because no one would pay him higher than Ferrari.

Actually that's not the case.

He wanted his salary to be as similar to the other top guys (Alonso and Hamilton), but he was getting offered far less because teams knew Ferrari paid him off.

It's a bit like getting paid off from one job then going to another, but the new company won't give you what you should originally get because they know that you got paid off, I don't know many who would accept such a deal.

Add to that, he wasn't getting the freedom he wanted.

The money issue has always been tended to be blown out of proportion, even Martin Whitmarsh was saying that the money wasn't the main issue, it was other details.

He or any other driver at the time weren't't going to get paid what Kimi himself was due to the cutting costs, I'm quite sure he and his manager also acknowledged that.

 

[RasputinLives]

Think you have that a bit wrapped round your head Sly. From what I understood Kimi would only get his money from Ferrari if he didn't race for another F1 team. The moment he signed for another team Ferrari didn't have to pay him a penny so he was looking for a contract that would match what he was already due to get and couldn't find one. Hence he went off to do rallying!

I'm not criticising here, Kimi is a top driver and deserves top pay. I'm just making sure we don't promote him to sainthood here with 'money is not an issue'

He won't go to Red Bull unless he's on at least what Vettel is earning, which I don't see as being greedy, and he left F1 because he earned more doing so. It doesn't make him any less of a racing driver so we don't need to pretend he's Robin Hood or something.

 

[Quintessentially]

Yeah agree regarding Kimi's deal with Ferrari. It's quite common with severance packages in major sports that if you find another job the employer doesn't cough up the whole money, if any at all.

 

[Slyboogy]

Think you have that a bit wrapped round your head Sly. From what I understood Kimi would only get his money from Ferrari if he didn't race for another F1 team. The moment he signed for another team Ferrari didn't have to pay him a penny so he was looking for a contract that would match what he was already due to get and couldn't find one. Hence he went off to do rallying!

I'm not criticising here, Kimi is a top driver and deserves top pay. I'm just making sure we don't promote him to sainthood here with 'money is not an issue'

He won't go to Red Bull unless he's on at least what Vettel is earning, which I don't see as being greedy, and he left F1 because he earned more doing so. It doesn't make him any less of a racing driver so we don't need to pretend he's Robin Hood or something.

Yes because I am exactly 'wrapped' around my head.

Having followed the negotiations of his, and as a fan, I dug a little deeper into the negotiations, than what the average article would say or journalist would say as they would all just repeat each other.

He wouldn't have got all his money from Ferrari if he had joined another team, he would have got some of it, and that's what the other teams were taking into account.

I said money wasn't the 'main' issue, and that's exactly what one of the team principals of the team he was negotiating came out and said.

But I forgot, I'm a bit wrapped round my head.

 

[Fenderman]

Nothing wrong with that Slyboogy . Yoga is supposed to be good for peeps

 

[Bill Boddy]

I do not wish to know whose legs are wrapped round your head. What you do when you are not posting is no concern of ours.

 

[RasputinLives]

Bit aggressive Sly. Not sure why.

If you have some none media related sources on this subject then I'd love to be educated and hear about them because it wouls be interesting. If its just other articles and interviews then I'm not sure how you know you've looked into it more than I have without secretly looking at my internet history or stalking me to see what I read. Its very dangerous ground to suggest you've read more or know more than someone just because your opinions differ matey.

Kimi got paid more for leaving F1 than he would if he stayed. plain and simple. Kimi won't accept anything other than being paid to be the best. He insisted on being paid the same as Schumacher when he moved to Ferrari and why shouldn't he? Its not an insult to siggest a driver expects to be paid on a par with his rivals or that he should not be prepared to lose out on money just to be on F1.

I'm not sure why people get so defensive about drivers wanting money. It doesn't take away from their talent.

 

[gethinceri]

 

[Kewee]

He insisted on being paid the same as Schumacher when he moved to Ferrari and why shouldn't he?

I was never a Schumacher fan but as far as Kimi being paid as much as Schumacher, you say why shouldn't he, I say why should he. Schumacher had results in the form of multiple titles which is why he could demand his salary, Kimi is a one time champion and is not exactly a sponsors dream.

 

[The Pits]

I dont think that the Red Bull drivers are the highest paid on the grid anyway. I would assume that they have low retainers and high win bonuses (assumption, note) however, if you want to win, they would be the most likely place to provide you with the best car to enable that.

 

[RasputinLives]

I was never a Schumacher fan but as far as Kimi being paid as much as Schumacher, you say why shouldn't he, I say why should he. Schumacher had results in the form of multiple titles which is why he could demand his salary, Kimi is a one time champion and is not exactly a sponsors dream.

When Kimi signed for Ferrari it was not clear whether Schumacher would be leaving or not. To have accepted a wage any less than Schumacher would have indicated he was not on a level with him. So the reason 'why not' is because Kimi was indicating to Ferrari that he would only come there as an equal not a number two. That was what they were signing him for so thats what they should pay. If you were promoted into an identical position to domeone at work and asked to do the exact same job but told they were paying you less because they thought the other guy was better you wouldn't be happy would you? As it happened Ferrari must have thought he was a better bet than Schumie at the time because they paid him 51 Million and he became the highest paid driver on the grid.

Anyways my whole point is he won't go to Red Bull unless he gets an identical deal to Vettel and thats why, as KekeTheKing was asking about, money is an issue. Its about sending a message on what your role in the team is before you even get there.

 

[Kewee]

My reply to your posting was related to his salary at Ferrari compared to the salary Schumacher was able to demand. I wasn't making any comment on his possible salary at Red Bull though I don't think a drivers salary is as easily determined as you believe. Any team, including Red Bull, will calculate a drivers worth (salary), not only on his ability and results, but also on how highly sponsors value them. Kimi has never made a secret of the fact he's there to race and isn't much interested in anything else. Whether you like it or not that will affect his value.

 

[Titch]

I'll take the seat at RB. I'd be very reasonable in my salary demands.